Ezekiel 34:1-10 BAD Shepherds
God is angry with the bad shepherds of Israel. They have looked after themselves and abandoned the sheep. They will be held accountable.
The shepherds of Israel were the priests and political leaders; the kings. There were many more bad shepherds than good shepherds in Israel’s history. When the kingdom divided, Israel never had a godly king again. Judah had a few godly kings and those were good times for the little kingdom.
The priests during this time followed the king. Israel’s priests promoted the worship of the golden calves or worshiping ANY god they chose. Judah’s priests were a mixture. Some held to the covenant while others promoted idol worship.
As for the prophets who were supposed to speak for God, Israel had VERY FEW that actually listened to God instead of their own imaginations. One event that springs to mind is the prophets telling Ahab that he would be victorious in battle. They were running around with horns on their heads and pretending to gore one another. But God didn’t leave ANY of the kings without a true prophet; in Israel or in Judah. Miciah is the one who spoke to Ahab for God.
Even the judges from the early years of Israel didn’t keep the people from chasing after false gods, or asking for a king like the other nations. Yet they were more faithful than the kings became.
We remember how God told Ezekiel that he would be responsible for the people’s blood if he didn’t speak everything God had given him. That was because of the position he was placed in. The same goes for ALL the leaders mentioned earlier. Those in the position of leadership have a duty of care for those under them. The leaders cannot FORCE the people to obey, but by providing godly leadership, the people are more likely to follow along. This is certainly evident in the time of Josiah. He was even able to get rid of the high places of idol worship. Even though he never got it out of the hearts of all the people, he removed the practice.
I was thinking about people in authority. It seems that the closer they are to the ones they are ruling over, the more influence they have. A mother or father has more influence over their children than the principal at school. The mayor, governor, congressman, and president have even less individual power or connection. Their sphere of influence is greater but their individual connections are tenuous at best. That is one big reason that the ‘presidential popularity’ shifts so much.
OUR Shepherd is different. His rule spans the entire globe, yet He is intimately connected with EACH OF US. He tends to each of our hurts and triumphs. He goes after those that wander away. He binds up and heals our wounds; physical and spiritual. NONE of us are forgotten, overlooked, or ignored. His eyes see us all. And He FAITHFULLY cares for us. He even ignored His own hunger pains in favor of lavishing His attention on those in need.
Father God, thank You for my Good Shepherd! I pray I am being faithful with those I shepherd. I know it was easier to influence my children when they were young than it is to influence my grandchildren; to a degree.
Thank You for the opportunities to sew into their lives; both generations. I also pray that I am being faithful with those You are allowing me to share with through our time together. Thank You for allowing me to answer the occasional question and for the opportunities You have given me to lead a few people into a relationship with You. Those are the BEST ‘rewards’! Seeing someone else find You too. Please help me feed the hungry, bind up the injured, strengthen the weak, and bring back the lost. ALL to YOU. Let me do it with Your gentle hand. Without force, shame, or coercion.
